coumestrol and Diabetic-Retinopathy

Diabetes-induced oxidative stress is vital in initiating neuronal damage in the diabetic retina, leading to diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study investigates the possible effects of coumestrol (CMS) on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DR. First, we established a rat model of DR by STZ injection and a cell model involving high-glucose (HG) exposure of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (hRMECs). We characterized the expression patterns of oxidative stress indicators, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and pro-apoptotic proteins in hRMECs. Polymerase chain reaction showed sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) to be poorly expressed in the retinal tissues of STZ-treated rats and HG-exposed hRMECs, but its expression was upregulated upon treatment with CMS treatment. Furthermore, CMS treatment attenuated the STZ-induced pathologies such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell apoptosis. Consistent with the

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Coumestrol; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetic Retinopathy; Disease Models, Animal; Endothelial Cells; Glucose; Humans; Inflammation; Oxidative Stress; Phytoestrogens; Rats; Retina; Retinal Vessels; Sirtuin 1